Bolder Boulder: Ethiopia fielding another strong men's team

Former Buffs Neuman, Slattery running for Team Colorado

The faces change but the expectations remain the same for the dominant harriers from the Horn of Africa.

This year Ethiopia is sending Tadese Tola, Brihanu Gedefa and Demessew Tsega to the Bolder Boulder to bring home the country's sixth consecutive International Team Challenge title.

The last three individual winners of the men's professional race were from Ethiopia.

"They're going to be tough again that's for sure," race coordinator Don Janacki said of the Ethiopian men.

"And all three Kenyans are running well in the spring circuit. That's going to be a good battle as usual," Janacki added.

Team USA is comprised of Chris Barnicle, Aaron Braun and Scott Smith. Ryan Hall, who ran the Bolder Boulder in 2008 ahead of the Beijing Olympics and again last year, will not participate this time.

"This year for some reason it was kind of tough to get the Americans," Janacki said. "These guys are all altitude-trained, running well and they stepped up, which I appreciate."

Former Colorado Buffs standout Kenyon Neuman will run for Team Colorado, along with Jeremy Freed and Patrick Rizzo.

On the women's side, Ethiopia has captured the last three International Team Challenge races. Team USA was second last year ahead of Ethiopian rival Kenya.

Neither 2011 champion -- Ethiopia's Belete Assefa (29:22) on the men's side (29:22) and Kenya's Lineth Chepkurui (32:29) on the women's side -- is back to defend. However, the women's 2009 and 2010 champion, Ethiopia's Mamitu Daska, will compete will be in an impressive field that includes three-time winner Deena Kastor (2001-03) of Team USA and 2006 champion Sara Slattery of Team Colorado.

Advertisement

The defending champion in the men's professional wheelchair race, Aaron Pike, will attempt to repeat. Last year Pike took advantage of Sal Mendoza's late scratch to win the title. Mendoza, a 12-time champion from Mexico, will not participate again this season.

The women's professional wheelchair race is wide open with the absence of Shirley Reilly, who is not in the 2012 field after capturing her sixth title last year.

Clubs keeping eye on RPI rankingsIn the age of RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) determining playoff seeding in Colorado prep sports, playing a championship schedule has become more important than ever for any team expecting to compete for a state title. Full Story

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story